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. 2017 Feb 14;17(1):196.
doi: 10.1186/s12889-017-4112-3.

Workplace violence towards nurses in Hong Kong: prevalence and correlates

Teris Cheung  1 , Paul S F Yip  2
Affiliations

Workplace violence towards nurses in Hong Kong: prevalence and correlates

Teris Cheung et al. BMC Public Health. .

Abstract

Background: Nurses are especially vulnerable to violent and other forms of aggression in the workplace. Nonetheless, few population-based studies of workplace violence have been undertaken among working-age nurse professionals in Hong Kong in the last decade.

Methods: The study estimates the prevalence and examines the socio-economic and psychological correlates of workplace violence (WPV) among professional nurses in Hong Kong. The study uses a cross-sectional survey design. Multivariate logistic regression examines the weighted prevalence rates of WPV and its associated factors for a population of nurses.

Results: A total of 850 nurses participated in the study. 44.6% had experienced WPV in the preceding year. Male nurses reported more WPV than their female counterparts. The most common forms of WPV were verbal abuse/bullying (39.2%), then physical assault (22.7%) and sexual harassment (1.1%). The most common perpetrators of WPV were patients (36.6%) and their relatives (17.5%), followed by colleagues (7.7%) and supervisors (6.3%). Clinical position, shift work, job satisfaction, recent disturbances with colleagues, deliberate self-harm (DSH) and symptoms of anxiety were significantly correlated with WPV for nurses.

Conclusions: WPV remains a significant concern for healthcare worldwide. Hong Kong's local health authority should put in place a raft of zero-tolerance measures to prevent WPV in healthcare settings.

Keywords: Cross-sectional; DASS21; Hong Kong; Nurses; Occupational hazards; Public health; Workplace violence.

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